Summary and Analysis
Prologue

Even before the introduction of the carnival into Something Wicked This Way Comes, Bradbury prepares us for its arrival. First in the preparation is his juxtaposition between bad and good: "It was October, a rare month for boys. Not that all months aren't rare. But there be bad and good, as the pirates say." This early juxtaposition is important to note since it will later have strict relevance on Bradbury's use of carnival imagery. The prologue also introduces Jim and Will, and indicates that the experiences which are to follow will cause them both to grow up overnight.